Labor Union Wants Metro Guarantee to “Buy American”"

Nashville Public Radio WPLN 90.3 FM WPLN 1430 AM Labor Union Wants Metro Guarantee to “Buy American” Thursday, March 12, 2009 The Nashville chapter of the United Steelworkers Union wants a public commitment from Metro Government to use federal stimulus money to “Buy American.”The $787 billion federal stimulus package includes a provision that public building projects use only U.S.-made products like iron and steel. But there are exceptions. Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite is co-sponsoring the Union resolution. It requests a guarantee from Nashville to do everything it can to spend stimulus money within the U.S. “Because that way you’re pouring the money back into your community so you can actually stimulate your community. And then your community, as a domino effect, is going to go out and possibly stimulate other communities as well.” The resolution only asks that products and services are American, whether that be union or non-union. To learn more go to http://wpln.org/newstranscripts/?p=5151

Stimulus money will help fight crime

Metro police, others are deciding how funds will be spentBy Kate Howard • THE TENNESSEAN • March 12, 2009 Though Metro law enforcement will get nearly $4 million in economic stimulus money, it's unclear whether that money will create — or save — any Metro jobs. The city has asked every department to cut their proposed budgets by 10 percent in a tight fiscal year, and when Metro police submitted its proposal, it said the cuts would mean more than 200 officers taken off the streets. The money is part of more than $50.3 million allocated to Tennessee policing agencies, distributed through the federal Economic Recovery Act. Rutherford County policing agencies will get more than $500,000, and according to Murfreesboro police spokesman Kyle Evans, the exact split between the county's four agencies or use for the money hasn't been determined yet. Agencies in Wilson County, Sumner County and Williamson County will all also get some funding through the grant. Janet Parham wants to see Nashville's money put directly into her North Nashville neighborhood. She is a member of the North Nashville Organization for Community Improvement, and she says police presence on her street is dismal. "I would love to see more cars, and bike or walking patrols as well," Parham said. "When the community gets to know the officers, I think that's huge." Her neighborhood has struggled with burglaries and robberies for years, Parham said. Now, with the economic downturn, they're also struggling with more vacant houses. Parham says police should take the windfall and lease a vacant house in the neighborhood to create a police bureau where people can report crime and get to know officers. Last year, according to Metro police spokesman Don Aaron, the department got about $270,000 in federal money to share with other justice agencies, including the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, the public defender's office and school security. The police department kept about $90,000 last year. "There is no doubt that this money will be a shot in the arm for law enforcement and the justice system in Nashville," Aaron said. "What has to take place in the coming weeks is a deliberate discussion on what specific programs or initiatives this money will support." Family violence is a concern Recessions usually produce higher rates of family violence. That's why Kathy Walsh hopes some of the money gets put into the police department's domestic violence unit. "We've certainly had a few domestic homicides already this year … and the division has suffered from cuts over the years," said Walsh, the executive director of the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "With people losing their jobs, being at home with their partners more, you can certainly see an increase in violence." In Wilson County, Sheriff Terry Ashe said he and officials at the Lebanon city police department have already discussed using their combined $190,000 on fighting their growing gang problem. They have a joint task force that deals with gangs along with the narcotics trade, but Ashe said the violent crimes associated with the gang activity is where he needs the most help. "We're recognizing (our problem) and we're targeting it," Ashe said. "We've got a lot to do here. We're not going to stick our heads in the sand." Multiple uses for grants The grant money can be used for technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice. According to Aaron, it will be some time before Nashville decides how it will spend the $3.8 million designated for Davidson County. Though nothing has been ruled out, Aaron said the federal government usually discourages local agencies from using the money to fund new jobs, since the money may not be there the next year.

Nashville Electric Service warns about bill-collecting scam

Tennessean DAVIDSON COUNTY Nashville Electric Service is warning customers to be cautious if they receive an automated call claiming that NES has not received their electric bill payment. The Nashville-based utility says some customers have received automated calls claiming to be from NES telling them that it has not received a payment, says Tim Hill, NES spokesman. Hill said that NES does not make any type of outgoing collection calls and that the call is a ploy to get personal or banking information from unsuspecting customers. Also, the utility cautions customers to be wary of any claims for payment from someone in person. NES employees in the field do not collect or solicit cash from customers for an electric bill payment or any type of work they perform.

12,000 youths in Tenn. could get stimulus jobs

By Bonna Johnson • THE TENNESSEAN • March 12, 2009 In what could be one of the worst summers ever for young people looking to land jobs, there is one bright spot: about 12,000 jobs for youth are coming to Tennessee in June as part of the federal stimulus. The jobs will go to low-income 14- to 24-year-olds and will be in places like state parks and government offices. Some private employers with established internship programs also may take part. The $25 million program is part of a larger $1.2 billion pool of stimulus funds aimed at putting young people to work nationwide. In Tennessee, participants will make $7.25 to $10 an hour — paid by stimulus funds, not the employer, during the eight-week program. "Awesome," said 17-year-old Jasmine Wilson, a bubbly East Literature Magnet High School senior. She may not get one of the stimulus jobs, but she figures the federal program could help others and free up other summer jobs for her. Wilson has tried with no luck to land jobs at a dress shop, a downtown Italian restaurant, a dry cleaner and several fast-food places. "It's frustrating. Nobody called back for an interview," said Wilson, who needs the money to pay for graduation invitations, college application fees and other expenses. Job analysts forecast unemployment rates in the high double-digits for teens this summer as employers scale back and as adults in search of hourly wages snap up the jobs that are available. Indeed, some teen-friendly workplaces that have no minimum education requirements are seeing a flood of applications from experienced adults who have had trouble finding work elsewhere. Nashville Shores, a water park that hopes to hire 300 people to fill summer positions, expects more than 1,000 people to apply during the course of three job fairs — the first of which is scheduled Saturday. Nashville Shores expects more adults to apply for jobs in sales or even as lifeguards this year, including some with master's degrees. "When we call them back, they're telling us that, at this point, they want anything," said David Businda, director of park operations. Teen job market tightens Last summer, the unemployment rate for Tennessee teens, ages 16 to 19, soared to 31 percent. In 2007, the figure was 18 percent, and in 2006 it was 13 percent. "Based on how bad things were last summer and what has happened with job losses in the labor market, we expect this summer may be on par or set a new record," said Joseph McLaughlin, a senior research associate with the Boston-based Center for Labor Market Studies. Nationally, last summer ranked as the most dismal job market for teens in the post-World War II era, he said. In Nashville, organizers of youth job fairs say fewer employers seem to be in a hiring mood — even among sure bets from years past. Ice cream shops don't need as many scoopers as they once did; public libraries don't need as many teenage workers to shelve books. At the Donelson Baskin-Robbins, for instance, manager Kim Gleaves usually doubles the summer staff from two to four workers on every shift. "I'll probably hire a couple more kids, but it will depend on the money we bring in," Gleaves said this week. It may be a brighter picture at Nashville Shores. Despite the economic downturn, the summer attraction has sold more season passes than it did last year — perhaps more families are giving up vacations to stick closer to home — and it has no plans to scale back its workforce. It will hold a series of job fairs, starting this weekend. Young people in the stimulus program will work between 25 to 35 hours per week. Although teens as young as 14 can apply, the program probably will be geared toward 17- to 24-year-olds because of labor law restrictions on younger workers, said Susan Cowden, employment and workforce development administrator at the Tennessee Labor Department. To qualify, teens must be from low-income families, such as those that participate in the state's food stamp or welfare programs, and face other barriers, such as being disabled or in foster care. While most of the stimulus jobs will be in government agencies, such as driver's license offices, some private employers could also qualify to take part, Cowden said. For instance, places with established internship programs that can show they will provide a meaningful work experience may be considered, officials said. But companies that have laid-off workers won't be able to hire summer help to take their places. "We don't want to create job losses within the regular work force or to supplant work that was being done by people who lost their jobs," Cowden said. Some work with no pay At the Nashville Career Advancement Center, a March 28 jobs fair will be refashioned as an activities fair because organizers can't find enough companies willing to pay to hire teens. Nonprofits will be there to recruit teens to participate in structured volunteer activities, which don't pay but could provide a valuable work experience and teach responsibility, said Ellen Zinkiewicz, director of youth and community services. Zinkiewicz worries that as the economy worsens, more teens could lose out on valuable first-time job experiences to adults who are forced to apply for entry-level jobs to pay the bills. "You can't take anything away from an unemployed adult who has a family to feed, but everyone remembers their first job and the life skills they learned," said Austin Lavin, 24, co-founder of Philadelphia-based MyFirstPaycheck.com, a job site for teens. "Don't underestimate the affordable, enthusiastic energy that teenagers can provide," he said. Antioch teenager Kenya Douglas is one of those enthusiastic students in the midst of a job search. The 16-year-old junior has applied at five different places only to hear that they would rather not hire someone under 18. "They think we're not as responsible as adults or have as much experience," said Douglas, who has a car note and insurance bills to pay. Douglas said she would feel a bit guilty about taking a job away from an adult with a family to support but added, "teens should have a fair shot, too."

Dell reduces workforce nationwide

WKRN Channel 2 News Local Dell workers lost their jobs Wednesday. In the Mid-State, Dell employs around 3,000 people at facilities in Donelson and Lebanon but that number is shrinking. The computer company is laying off employees around the world but won't say where or how many. Dell does not issue press releases about the job cuts, and its employees are contractually bound not to speak out. Dell spokesperson David Frink said Wednesday the layoffs were part of the company's efforts to streamline. "We've been streamlining our business for more than a year and said as recently as two weeks ago that we'd continue to do so," he said in a statement released to News 2. "We'll confirm that Dell is reducing its global workforce as part of its ongoing initiative to remain competitive. Workforce reduction is difficult, but this is a deliberate part of Dell's ongoing focus on competitiveness. We recognize the reduction is significant for affected and other employees, and are working to minimize consequences. Affected employees will be offered competitive severance packages, including career counseling and outplacement services." News 2 spoke with several current and former Dell employees who were afraid to speak out about Dell. They were afraid the company would take action against them. "It's in the severance package, you can't say anything negative about them," a former Dell employee told News 2 anonymously. He said he was one of 84 laid off in February. The Dell location in Donelson has been around for nearly 10 years. In 1999, Metro government gave Dell a nearly $50 million tax break to build their campus near the airport. In a statement, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said, "The city views Dell as a great corporate citizen, but, like everyone else, they are going through a difficult economic time. The agreement Metro Government has with Dell is based on their employment level. At this point we don't know the specific number of jobs affected in Davidson County, and so it's unclear whether or not this agreement will be impacted. Once specifics are available, we're certain that is something that will be discussed." The Round Rock, Texas-based company has been shifting work from its own factories to contract workers in the last year as the personal computer market has declined.

Husband admits to killing wife

WKRN Channel 2 News Metro police arrested the husband of the woman found dead in their Antioch home last week after he admitted to committing the crime. John Kratochvil was taken into police custody Wednesday after detectives said he admitted to killing his wife, 32-year-old Manisha Kratochvil. Manisha Kratochvil's mother found her daughter strangled to death in her home on Sunnywood Drive on the morning of March 2. A detailed examination of her body revealed certain trauma indicative of foul play, police said, but the home showed no signs of forced entry. John Kratochvil initially told investigators he was in South Carolina on business at the time of his wife's death. Detectives said part what Kratochvil had said to them was inconsistent, and he finally broke down when confronted Wednesday. He changed his story and admitted he was in South Carolina, returned to Nashville to kill his wife and then went back to South Carolina. He also told investigators he staged the scene so it would appear an outside person or intruder committed the crime and said he killed her during a time of "marital discourse." Investigators said the murder appears to be planned. Metro detective Brad Corcoran said, "It appears he has been planning this, if nothing else, in his mind, and it looks like when he put it into play... He didn't indicate whether he wanted to talk to her or whether he was coming to carry out what he had planned." Along with Manisha Kratochvil's mother, the couple's children, ages three and six, were also inside the home at the time of the murder. The children are expected to live with Manisha Kratochvil's sister in Arizona. Officers booked John Kratochvil on criminal homicide charges late Wednesday. He remains in jail on $750,000 bond. To see the video go to:http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=9990058&Call=Email&Format=HTML

How the stimulus helps laid-off workers

By Kimberly Lankford Several provisions in the stimulus bill aid recently unemployed workers. Help with health-insurance bills. When you lose or leave your job, you can generally continue coverage through your employer's health-insurance plan for up to 18 months through a federal program called COBRA. You can't be rejected or charged more because of your health. But the costs of COBRA coverage are very high. While employers usually pay about three-fourths of the premiums for their current employees, that subsidy disappears for laid-off workers -- leaving them with an average annual bill of $12,680 for family coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The stimulus provides a 65% subsidy to help cover the cost of COBRA for up to nine months. To qualify, a worker must be involuntarily terminated between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. The subsidy ends if you find a job and your new employer offers health-care coverage or you become eligible for Medicare. Workers who have lost their jobs since September 1, 2008, but didn't elect COBRA will be given 60 days to elect COBRA and receive the subsidy after being notified by their former employer that they are again eligible. To qualify, your income for the year must be less than $125,000 for individuals and $250,000 for families. Keep in mind, however, that not all laid-off workers qualify for COBRA. The federal law requires only companies with 20 or more employees to offer COBRA benefits (some states have similar programs, or "mini COBRAs," for smaller companies), and COBRA is available only if an employer continues to offer health benefits to employees. If the employer discontinues its health-insurance plan entirely or goes out of business, there is no COBRA. If COBRA coverage is not available, you may be able to get an individual health-insurance policy or, if you have health problems, you may be able to get coverage if your state has a high-risk pool or some type of continuation policy. See Keeping Coverage After a Job Loss for more information about your health-insurance options after a layoff. Bigger and longer unemployment benefits. The stimulus bill also increases weekly unemployment benefits by $25 through 2009. The amount of your unemployment benefits continues to vary based on your previous income and your state, but everyone will receive an extra $25 per week. This increase is automatic -- people who are receiving benefits won't need to take any special steps to boost their benefits. But it may take a few weeks for the state unemployment offices to reprogram their software programs and add the extra money, says Rich Hobbie, executive director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Plus, people collecting unemployment benefits get a tax break. Unemployment benefits are usually subject to federal income tax. But people receiving unemployment benefits in 2009 will be able to exclude the first $2,400. Any benefits you receive beyond that in 2009 will be subject to federal income tax. The bill also extends the emergency unemployment-compensation program, which provides up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits to workers who exhaust their regular benefits. Contact your state unemployment-benefits office for more information about receiving extended benefits (see the unemployment benefits map for links. For more information about collecting unemployment benefits, see What You Need to Know About Unemployment Benefits.

How the stimulus helps laid-off workers

Channel 5 News By Kimberly Lankford Several provisions in the stimulus bill aid recently unemployed workers. Help with health-insurance bills.When you lose or leave your job, you can generally continue coverage through your employer's health-insurance plan for up to 18 months through a federal program called COBRA. You can't be rejected or charged more because of your health. But the costs of COBRA coverage are very high. While employers usually pay about three-fourths of the premiums for their current employees, that subsidy disappears for laid-off workers -- leaving them with an average annual bill of $12,680 for family coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The stimulus provides a 65% subsidy to help cover the cost of COBRA for up to nine months. To qualify, a worker must be involuntarily terminated between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. The subsidy ends if you find a job and your new employer offers health-care coverage or you become eligible for Medicare. Workers who have lost their jobs since September 1, 2008, but didn't elect COBRA will be given 60 days to elect COBRA and receive the subsidy after being notified by their former employer that they are again eligible. To qualify, your income for the year must be less than $125,000 for individuals and $250,000 for families. Keep in mind, however, that not all laid-off workers qualify for COBRA. The federal law requires only companies with 20 or more employees to offer COBRA benefits (some states have similar programs, or "mini COBRAs," for smaller companies), and COBRA is available only if an employer continues to offer health benefits to employees. If the employer discontinues its health-insurance plan entirely or goes out of business, there is no COBRA. If COBRA coverage is not available, you may be able to get an individual health-insurance policy or, if you have health problems, you may be able to get coverage if your state has a high-risk pool or some type of continuation policy. See Keeping Coverage After a Job Loss for more information about your health-insurance options after a layoff. Bigger and longer unemployment benefits. The stimulus bill also increases weekly unemployment benefits by $25 through 2009. The amount of your unemployment benefits continues to vary based on your previous income and your state, but everyone will receive an extra $25 per week. This increase is automatic -- people who are receiving benefits won't need to take any special steps to boost their benefits. But it may take a few weeks for the state unemployment offices to reprogram their software programs and add the extra money, says Rich Hobbie, executive director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Plus, people collecting unemployment benefits get a tax break. Unemployment benefits are usually subject to federal income tax. But people receiving unemployment benefits in 2009 will be able to exclude the first $2,400. Any benefits you receive beyond that in 2009 will be subject to federal income tax. The bill also extends the emergency unemployment-compensation program, which provides up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits to workers who exhaust their regular benefits. Contact your state unemployment-benefits office for more information about receiving extended benefits (see the unemployment benefits map for links. For more information about collecting unemployment benefits, see What You Need to Know About Unemployment Benefits.

Interest in home improvement classes grows

WKRN Channel 2 News The economy seems to be turning more homeowners into do-it-yourselfers. At Home Depot, the popularity of home repair classes is on the rise. "You know, you can do it, we can help," said David Comer, who manages the Home Depot in Brentwood. Comer is putting that motto into practice, more now than ever before. He is busy helping customers who are fixing up their house, instead of paying someone to do the work for them. "The goal is to show them how to do it, sell them a product and let them have fun," says Comer. The Home Depot offers free clinics on a variety of subjects from hanging dry wall to painting, cleaning, or tiling floors. "They start you from the very beginning and walk you through step-by-step how to do it," Comer said. Customer Michael Wright took the class to learn how to tile a kitchen and says he saved a few hundred dollars by doing the job on his own. "It was simple instructions anybody can do, hands on... They let us do the tile ourselves right there on the spot, a real good class," Wright said. By the time consumers finish a class, Comer says most are eager to plunge into a project. "There's a certain pride you take from doing it yourself, and you know, 'That's the floor I laid down,' and they really like that." In-store workshops are free and offered on weekends. For more information on the workshops and online classes available at your local Home Depot store, visit www.homedepotclinics.com.

Davidson sheriff's office offers free Sober Ride on St. Patrick's Day

DAVIDSON COUNTY Anyone celebrating in Nashville on St. Patrick's Day can get a free designated driver through the Sober Ride program. Volunteers with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office are preparing for the seventh annual Sober Ride St. Patrick's Day, which has provided about 3,500 rides since its inception, according to the sheriff's office. The program operates in Davidson County only and reservations are not accepted. For a St. Patrick's Day ride from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., call 615-862-RIDE (7433).

The Una Dads Group Volunteers Time

Check out the Una Dads "District 29" neighbors.They are a perfect example of great volunteering. Congratulations to the Una Dads on a job well-done. Thank you Una Dads and continue the great work! Gratefully, Vivian The Una Dads Group Volunteers Time, Children First, March 6 This past February, the Una Dads group volunteered a morning to come and paint the construction wall of the school cafeteria, which would be used later in the month for the school's Father/Daughter dance. The Una Dads sprang into action and painted the wall so the cafeteria would be warm and inviting for the special night out with their daughters. The Una Dads group is a group of Una Elementary fathers who choose to donate their time and attention to make their child's school a better place. All dads who showed up received a special "I'm a Una Dad" t-shirt. Pictures can be found at: http://unadads.pbwiki.com/Pictures

Meeting to discuss the proposed Metro Water Rate Increase

Tomorrow, Monday, March 9

at 6:30 pm at

Lakeview Design/Elementary School,

455 Rural Hill Road

Please join me and Metro Water Department officials to learn about and discuss the proposed Metro Water rate increase.

This is to remind you of this important meeting in hopes that you will attend. Gratefully, Vivian

Metro chain restaurants must add caloric information to menus

Channel 2 News WKRN Trying to calculate exactly how many calories are in your food when dining out can be a mystery, but not for much longer. All chain restaurants in Davidson County will be required to post calorie counts on their menus by March 2010. The Metro Board of Health approved menu labeling in a meeting Thursday afternoon. Restaurants with 15 locations or more will print caloric information for each item on the menu. That includes food and drinks, but not alcohol. For Terri Ray, who says she has long struggled with her weight, the new, informative menus will be a needed change. "I've had lifelong problems with obesity. Mainly because we're just not educated in what's healthy and what's not healthy," says Terri Ray. Ray had gastric bypass surgery in 2005. "I didn't know what to eat. I was scared to eat anything. I didn't know what was in it," she said. Although many restaurants must follow the menu-labeling mandate, entertainment venues like movie theatres and stadiums are exempt. That's an exemption that some say shouldn't exist. "Movie theatres are a minefield of calories, same as a lot of the stadiums and people do go there for meals and they don't understand how many calories they're consuming," says Joan Randall with the Tennessee Obesity Taskforce. In a telephone survey conducted by the Metro Health Department earlier this year, 78% of the 400 residents surveyed at random supported posting calorie information on menus. Health officials agree that calorie counts will help people dining out make better decisions, but say it will take time and money for businesses to change. "From the health department's standpoint we think people want the information and the sooner the better," Dr. Bill Paul with the Metro Public Health Department told News 2. "From the restaurant's standpoint, it takes time because they are part of a larger organization and there are costs involved." New York City was the first in the nation to require chain restaurants to post calories on their menus and Seattle followed. All chain restaurants in California will have to post calorie counts on their menus come 2011.

Dynamite found near I-40, Briley Parkway

Channel 2 WKRN News Crews are working to remove dynamite found along a busy thoroughfare early Friday morning, east of Nashville. An excavating crew found the dynamite around 2 a.m., along side an exit ramp near Briley Parkway and Interstate 40, Metro police called an explosives crew to the scene and closed down the roadway for a time. Traffic was impacted on both I-40 and Briley Parkway. The road has since reopened. Officials will remove the dynamite later Friday morning, after additional equipment arrives on the scene.

Davidson County crime log for Feb. 26 - March 1, 2009

These are the most serious calls handled by the Metro police, listed by time, crime reported and address. Some reports may be unfounded. Police calls are listed by police precinct or town. When police cannot immediately determine the location of a crime, the address given is that of the police station or hospital where the crime was reported. To see the list please look at the following link: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090305/MICRO021301/903060365/1553/COUNTY01